Puppets

---

Concepts

This study delivers 1 primary concept and 2 secondary concepts.

Primary concept: Materials and Their Characteristics (DT-KS1-C003)

Type: Knowledge | Teaching weight: 1/6

Different materials have different physical properties that make them suitable for different purposes. At KS1, pupils learn to identify and describe the properties of a range of materials including construction materials such as card, wood and plastic, textiles and food ingredients, and to make informed choices about which material to use based on what the product needs to do.

Teaching guidance: Provide opportunities to handle and explore a wide range of materials before asking pupils to select. Use sorting and comparing activities to build awareness of material properties such as rigidity, flexibility, waterproof, absorbent, rough, smooth. Discuss why certain materials are used in real products - why a raincoat is made from waterproof fabric, why a cardboard box cannot hold water. Build vocabulary for material properties through explicit teaching and practical exploration. Key vocabulary: material, property, rigid, flexible, waterproof, absorbent, smooth, rough, strong, fragile, wood, card, plastic, fabric, ingredient, suitable, characteristic Common misconceptions: Pupils may choose materials based on aesthetics alone (e.g. choosing the prettiest colour) without considering functional suitability. Prompting with 'Will this work for our purpose?' during making helps. Some pupils may not understand that a material can have both advantageous and disadvantageous properties for a given task.

Differentiation

Model response (Entry): This is card — it is a bit stiff but I can bend it. This is wood — it is very stiff. This is fabric — it is very bendy.

Model response (Developing): I would choose plastic because it is waterproof. Paper would get soggy in the rain and wool would absorb the water.

Model response (Expected): Wood is strong and stiff but heavy. Card is light but not very strong — it bends under weight. Thin plastic can be stiff and light but might crack. I think thin wood (lolly sticks) would be best because it is strong enough, fairly stiff, and not too heavy for the model.

Secondary concept: Tools, Equipment and Safe Making (DT-KS1-C008)

Type: Skill | Teaching weight: 1/6

Tools and equipment are the instruments used to cut, shape, join and finish materials during making. At KS1, pupils learn to identify and use a range of appropriate tools including scissors, hole punches, hand saws, needles and mixing equipment, developing control and precision in their handling. Safe use of tools is an essential component of making: pupils must understand and apply basic safety rules for each tool they use, including how to hold it, how to protect themselves and others, and how to store it correctly when not in use.

Differentiation

Secondary concept: Joining and Finishing Techniques (DT-KS1-C009)

Type: Skill | Teaching weight: 1/6

Joining techniques are methods used to connect materials and components together so that a product holds its shape and structure. At KS1, pupils explore a range of joining methods including adhesives (glue, tape, staples), mechanical fixings (split pins, treasury tags, stitching) and construction techniques (folding tabs, slots). Finishing refers to the processes applied to the surface of a product after it has been assembled, such as painting, colouring or adding surface decoration, to improve its appearance and protect it.

Differentiation

---

Thinking lens: Structure and Function (primary)

Key question: How does the structure of this thing enable or explain what it does? Why this lens fits: Setting design criteria requires pupils to articulate what the product must do (function) and how it must be structured to achieve that — the criteria themselves encode structure-function reasoning about the intended product. Question stems for KS1:

What shape is it? Why do you think it is that shape?

What job does this part do?

What would happen if this part were a different shape?

Can you find something else that does the same job?

Secondary lens: Evidence and Argument — Evaluating whether a design idea meets criteria is a claim-and-evidence act: pupils must justify design decisions by arguing that a particular choice satisfies the stated criteria for the intended user.

---

Session structure: Design, Make, Evaluate

Design, Make, Evaluate

The core Design & Technology cycle. Pupils investigate existing products and user needs, design a solution with clear specifications, plan the making process, construct using appropriate materials and techniques, test against the design brief, and evaluate the outcome with suggestions for improvement.

investigate → design → plan → make → test → evaluate Assessment: Design portfolio including investigation findings, annotated design with specifications, making log, test results, and evaluative conclusion comparing outcome to original brief. Teacher note: Use the DESIGN, MAKE AND EVALUATE template: show children existing products and help them say what they like and how they work. Support them in drawing and talking about their own design idea. Help them choose materials and make their product with adult support. Encourage them to try it out and say what worked and what they might change. KS1 question stems:

What do you like about this product? How does it work?

Can you draw what you want to make?

What materials will you use? Why?

Does your product work? What would you change?

---

Design and Technology: Textiles

Design brief: Design and make a hand puppet of a character from a story we have read in class. The puppet must fit on your hand and have features that show which character it is. Materials: felt, fabric scraps, buttons, yarn, ribbon, fabric glue Tools: scissors, fabric scissors, large-eye needles, pins (teacher use) Techniques: cutting fabric to template, running stitch, gluing fabric, decorating with buttons and yarn Safety notes: Large-eye blunt needles only. Adult supervision for all stitching. No pins for pupils -- teacher pins only. Fabric scissors should be distinguished from paper scissors to maintain blade quality. Evaluation criteria:

Does the puppet fit on a hand?

Can you tell which character it is?

Are the joins secure enough for a puppet show?

---

Why this study matters

Puppet-making introduces textiles at an age-appropriate level. Simple hand puppets or stick puppets require cutting fabric, joining with glue or simple stitching, and decorating. The puppet becomes a functional product with a clear purpose -- performance. This connects DT to English (storytelling), Drama, and Art.

---

Pitfalls to avoid

Fabric too thick to cut with child scissors -- provide felt or thin cotton

Running stitch too loose and pulls out -- demonstrate pulling tight after each stitch

Puppets too small to fit a hand -- trace hand shapes before cutting fabric

---

Vocabulary word mat

Scaffolding and inclusion (Y1)

---

Knowledge organiser

Key terms:

textile

fabric

felt

stitch

running stitch

template

puppet

join

Core facts (expected standard):

Materials and Their Characteristics: Comparing materials systematically and selecting the most appropriate one by weighing up multiple properties against design criteria.

---

Graph context

Node type: DTTopicSuggestion | Study ID: TS-DT-KS1-004 Concept IDs:

DT-KS1-C003: Materials and Their Characteristics (primary)

DT-KS1-C008: Tools, Equipment and Safe Making

DT-KS1-C009: Joining and Finishing Techniques

Cypher query:

``cypher

MATCH (ts:DTTopicSuggestion {suggestion_id: 'TS-DT-KS1-004'})

-[:DELIVERS_VIA]->(c:Concept)

-[:HAS_DIFFICULTY_LEVEL]->(dl)

RETURN c.name, dl.label, dl.description

``

---

Generated from the UK Curriculum Knowledge Graph — zero LLM generation.